Ticket controversy and other business issues Victory Tour (The Jacksons tour)

1 ticket controversy , other business issues

1.1 financial difficulties
1.2 jackson family tensions
1.3 other issues

ticket controversy , other business issues

king, sullivan , jacksons father joe jackson (who no longer managed of sons point) came way generate additional revenue ticket sales. wishing attend have send postal money order $120 ($280 in modern dollars) along special form lottery buy blocks of 4 tickets @ $30 apiece (us$69 in 2016 dollars), ostensibly curtail scalpers. upon receipt money deposited standard money market account earning 7% annual interest; take 6 8 weeks lottery held , money refunded unsuccessful purchasers. since 1 in ten purchasers win lottery , receive tickets, there more money in bank time period there tickets sell, , expected earn $10–12 million in interest.

joe, jackie, tito, jermaine, marlon , randy in favor of plan, michael not , warned them public relations disaster. $30 ticket higher touring acts (namely prince , bruce springsteen) charged @ time, compounded requirement buy four. put tickets out of reach of many of african-american fans not financially secure. community joined many commentators in media in vociferously criticizing jacksons on plan. nevertheless, when newspapers published form tickets first show in kansas city s arrowhead stadium in late june, fans lined @ stores before opened buy them. local radio disk jockey said newspapers stolen lawns.

on july 5, 1984, after receiving letter eleven-year-old fan ladonna jones, accused jacksons , promoters of being selfish , out money, michael held press conference announce changes in tour s organization , announce share of proceeds tour donated charity.

jones later received vip treatment @ dallas concert. following michael s speech @ press conference on july 5, 1984, day before tour began:

lot of people having trouble getting tickets. other day got letter fan in texas named ladonna jones. d been saving money odd jobs buy ticket, turned tour system, d have buy 4 tickets , couldn t afford that. so, asked our promoter work out new way of distributing tickets, way no longer requires money order. there has been lot of talk promoter holding money tickets didn t sell. ve asked our promoter end mail order ticket system possible no 1 pay money unless ticket. finally, , importantly, there s else going announce today. want know decided donate money make our performance charity. there further press statements released in next 2 weeks.

afterwards, procedures modified, sales continued made mail (except 6 final shows @ dodger stadium, tickets sold through ticketmaster.) tickets typically made available week ten days in advance, , many tickets ended in hands of ticket brokers.

financial difficulties

arrowhead stadium, tour opened, appeared @ time

the tour sold record number of tickets despite high price. opening shows covered in national media , sold out. sees show better person years come , king told media before first date in kansas city. michael jackson has transcended earthly bounds. every race, color , creed waiting tour.

sullivan had estimated in june make $13 million, august had reduced estimate more three-quarters, $3 million. transporting 365-ton (331 t) stage michael had designed, took one-third of football field (approximately 19,200 square feet (1,780 m)), required on 30 tractor trailers. large required using of seating area, in venues taking as quarter of potential available seats off market.

before tour began sullivan had spent million dollars on legal fees , insurance. among 250 workers on tour payroll ambiance director provided homey touches traveling parlor group relaxed in before , after shows. overhead costs averaging around million dollars week, far on expectations, , sullivan unable pay $24 million balance on advance. renegotiated deal down 75% of gross potential seat revenues after tour began.

jackson family tensions

tensions between michael , brothers increased during tour. stayed @ own hotels , flew between stops on private jet while rest of family flew commercial. @ 1 point demanded publicist fired , when found out right before show had not been, refused go on until was. michael had been disappointed idol james brown declined invitation join group on stage @ madison square garden in new york city due brown s continued outrage ticket lottery.

the other jacksons had grievances michael. turned down multimillion-dollar offer movie producer film 1 of shows brothers had accepted, have crew had hired show shoot own film several nights later (they subsequently blocked release). despite pretour agreement jacksons ride in van chartered take them shows, michael began taking child star emmanuel lewis along them. later, after similar agreement on helicopter took brothers show @ giants stadium in east rutherford, new jersey, michael showed julian lennon (son of slain ex-beatle john lennon), , brothers glared @ him entire flight. before tour halfway completed brothers taking separate vehicles concerts.

the brothers stayed on different floors of hotels, , refused talk each other on way shows. meetings broke down among factions, 2 lawyers representing michael s interests, jermaine s, , 1 more other three. worst experience michael had ever had brothers , said longtime family friend. jealous, there denial, whole gamut of human emotions.

other issues

health issues affected tour. jackie jackson missed first half leg injury, supposedly sustained during rehearsals. @ 1 point michael became exhausted , dehydrated stress of quarreling brothers placed under medical care.

by later shows on tour, novelty had worn off , strains having effect. although victory album certified double platinum riaa sales of 2 million copies, shows increasingly failing sell out. dates planned pittsburgh cancelled; shows in chicago made difference. october, time of shows in toronto s exhibition stadium, total of 50,000 tickets had gone unsold, sullivan renegotiated again, getting jacksons agree revenues based on actual sales.

things did not improve tour reached final leg on west coast. in late november, shows @ sun devil stadium in tempe, arizona, outside phoenix, canceled. officially reason jermaine sick flu perform, there speculation slow ticket sales played role well. sullivan short of cash stopped payment on $1.9 million check group after vancouver dates. afterwards, suffered minor heart attack, , left hospital renegotiate jacksons again, claiming losses of $5–6 million. time parties no longer meeting in person. jacksons agreed waive stopped payment in return greater share of revenue 6 final shows in los angeles s dodger stadium. sullivan s estimated profit down half million dollars.

the jacksons , don king had made money though sullivan had not, , near end of tour began making plans european leg. when word reached michael, let them know through representatives not taking part. @ rain-soaked tour finale in los angeles dodger stadium, after 6 sold-out shows, michael announced @ end of show, brothers shocked expressions, last time performed together. plans go europe ended.